Audio Branding

Here’s the second part of my fascinating interview with Steve Keller. In it, we dove into how brands can harness the power of archetypes as well as what Steve calls the three pillars of return on sonic investment.

We also discussed:

• Music’s impact on our perception of meaning
• How music soundscapes and noise affect the healthcare industry
• How consumers’ experience of products often differentiates brands more than the products themselves might
• Psychophysics—how our perception of reality is a combination of sensory inputs
• Using sound to affect other senses
• Carl Jung’s utilization of archetypes in psychology
• Both the science and art of sound—that they’re not at two opposite ends of a spectrum, but rather they’re two sides of the same coin
• The importance of brands being intentional and making educated choices around sound
• The problem of brands failing to make decisions based on the importance of sound, even though they understand the important role sound plays
• How critical it is to devote time and energy to audio branding in addition to visual branding  
• Steve’s desire to inspire younger people to move even further with the current knowledge and research around audio branding

For more information about Steve Keller, check out http://www.studioresonate.com. You can also follow him on Twitter at @AudioAlchemist_ (that underscore is important) or find him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevekeller1/.

This episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco (http://www.humbertofranco.com/).

Would you consider reviewing the Audio Branding Podcast?  If so, here's the Apple Podcast link: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/audio-branding/id1489042453  And if you like what you hear (and read!) - please do share it with anyone you think might be interested. Thanks so much!

Support the show (https://voiceoversandvocals.com/resources/)

For Steve Keller, audio branding seamlessly blends together the three overarching passions in his life: music, psychology, and marketing. Steve had a passion for music from a young age but never considered it as a career. He became fascinated with and obtained his college degree in psychology. During what some may consider a “gap year” before he had planned to pursue a master’s degree and Ph.D., Steve decided to go in a different direction and ultimately found himself producing music in Nashville, Tenessee. While there, he discovered his passion for marketing and advertising. In 2005, all three passions came together as he began to delve into the world of audio branding. Steve now works for Studio Resonate, Pandora’s in-house consultancy for advertisers.

In the first part of our conversation, we discussed Steve’s three passions and some of the research he has done, as well as:

• Starting the audio consultancy iV (http://www.ivaudiobranding.com)
• How Steve and iV began developing the sonic identity for Pandora
• Measuring KPIs and return on sonic investments
• The importance of developing the sonic piece of brand recognition at the beginning of the branding process, not at the end
• Understanding the entire ecosystem of a brand
• How audio influences buyer behavior
• Steve’s work with Studio Resonate
• Cross-modal hacking to influence consumers’ perception of flavor not only with taste but also with sound (this part blew my mind!)
• How sound affects our body’s release of dopamine and oxytocin
• How biases influence our decision-making processes

You can find more information about Steve Keller at www.studioresonate.com, or you can follow him on Twitter at @AudioAlchemist_ (that underscore is important). You can also find him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevekeller1/.

This episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco (http://www.humbertofranco.com/).

Would you consider reviewing the Audio Branding Podcast?  If so, here's the Apple Podcast link: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/audio-branding/id1489042453  And if you like what you hear (and read!) - please do share it with anyone you think might be interested. Thanks so much!

Here’s the second part of my interview with storyteller Dave Bricker. We talked about the four elements of a story, the difference between anecdotes and stories, and how to add value to people’s lives through storytelling.

In our conversation, we also covered:

• Whether people are hardwired to want to hear depressing stories or happy stories
• The difference between happy endings and transformation and how that affects how stories connect with people
• A much more effective alternative to scare tactics in advertising
• Why children love reading storybooks over and over...and over…and over...
• Where most advertising falls short and how to improve
• How the most powerful stories speak to our innate drive to seek safety and survival
• How authentic conflict brings depth to a story
• How, in advertising, money must serve not as an outcome, but rather as a tool
• Using audio to prime an audience
• Different types of coaches and which audiences they’re best suited for

You can find more information on Dave on his website at www.storysailing.com or on any of his social media channels: 

• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbricker/
• Twitter https://twitter.com/daveBricker
• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DaveBrickerSpeaker/

This episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco (http://www.humbertofranco.com/).

Would you consider reviewing the Audio Branding Podcast?  If so, here's the Apple Podcast link: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/audio-branding/id1489042453  And if you like what you hear (and read!) - please do share it with anyone you think might be interested. Thanks so much! 

Dave Bricker discovered his love for "StorySailing” while spending 15 years living aboard sailboats. In 1983, after his first year of college, David got a job working with the Christo Surrounded Islands project. During that time, he realized something was missing in his life. After finishing college, he headed off to the Bahamas to begin his 15-year sailing adventure, which included a transatlantic sailing trip in 1991. Dave has authored 11 books, and his company, Remarkable Stories, Inc., https://storysailing.com/, teaches the art of business transformation through storytelling. 

In the first part of my conversation with Dave, we explored how story and sound intersect, as well as: 

• How his idea of storytelling for business started
• Heading off to the Bahamas with a small sailboat, $30, and a locker full of food and dreams
• How storytelling ties together music, writing, speaking, graphic design, and code
• The importance of storytelling about people, outcomes, and value instead of prices, processes, ingredients, and data
• Speaking techniques to draw people in
• Girls tied to railroad tracks, dream sequences, the country, and 1940s clubs (yes, you read that right! 😉)
• Whether our response to music is learned or innate—culture or predisposition
• Playing music with a Dutch jazz singer in the Azores
• How improvisation ties into storytelling
• A big mistake people make when giving professional speeches and how to avoid it
• How professionals can improve their speaking by getting involved with Toastmasters - http://www.toastmasters.org
• How we as humans are hunter-gatherers at heart and are always scanning for threats

You can find more information on Dave on his website at www.storysailing.com. 

You can also find him on his social media channels: 

• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbricker/
• Twitter https://twitter.com/daveBricker
• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DaveBrickerSpeaker/

This episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco (http://www.humbertofranco.com/).

Would you consider reviewing the Audio Branding Podcast?  If so, here's the Apple Podcast link: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/audio-branding/id1489042453  And if you like what you hear (and read!) - please do share it with anyone you think might be interested. Thanks so much! 

In the second part of my interview with Morry Zelcovitch, we got a bit more philosophical.  His work and research has led him to some very insightful observations about how he now deals with things in a healthier (brain chemistry-wise) manner - and how he might be able to help others do the same. So we started with a bit of science about how we hear things, the filter all sound goes through before we interpret it, and how this kind of research can help people dealing with PTSD, OCD and other issues.

It's another very interesting discussion and I think you'll enjoy the hopeful nature of it.

To recap, in this second part of our interview, we discussed:

• How vibration is interpreted into sound in our brains in a very subjective way
• How you get a cleaner, better effect with high quality headphones
• What he's working on now
• Testing the audio to help people with PTSD, OCD, etc.
• How the brain prefers things that are "uninterrupted".
• How life has become a very different experience for him
• How different his life is now
• How his work has made him feel like a super hero
• The evolution of discovery
• Designing products around the end user - and how everyone's experiences will be different
• How attitude changes everything

You can find out more about Morry's approach to "brainwave entrainment" at www.themorrymethod.com .

His more professionally oriented website is at www.activemindsglobal.com .

And his newest product is at www.quantummindmethod.com .

This episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco (http://www.humbertofranco.com/).

Would you consider reviewing the Audio Branding Podcast?  If so, here's the Apple Podcast link: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/audio-branding/id1489042453  And if you like what you hear (and read!) - please do share it with anyone you think might be interested. Thanks so much! 

Morry Zelcovitch has had a lot of challenges in his life including depression and addiction. In his search for something to help him with his difficulties, he came across something called "binauaral beats" and that led him into the brainwave entrainment field (a term he coined himself).  Essentially, he's programming his brain to operate in a healthier way, through the use of sound. Exploring this continues to be his life's work. But like any self-improvement option, it works (or doesn't work) for each person differently.  We talk a lot about this in our interview.

I found it truly fascinating to discuss how sound - or vibration interpreted by our eardrums - may be able to heal us from the inside out.

In this first part of our interview, we discussed:

• His background in "brainwave entrainment" (how he trained himself)
• His search to find a way to live
• How he started researching the science of brain chemistry
• He came across something that might work for him - something that would modify his neural chemistry
• How music can heal through its "steady pulse" and pattern
• Using a stimulus - sound and light - to influence his brainwaves so that he could feel better without drugs
• Unfortunately, binauaral beats didn't work for him
• How he needed to create his own methodology
• His opinion about some flawed science - the reason he wasn't really helped by binauaral beats
• How binauaral beats are supposed to work
• The differences (and names) of various brainwave states
• How our brains are designed to work
• Why brainwave entrainment is so important

You can find out more about Morry's approach to "brainwave entrainment" at www.themorrymethod.com .

His more professionally oriented website is at www.activemindsglobal.com .

And his newest product is at www.quantummindmethod.com .

This episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco (http://www.humbertofranco.com/).

Would you consider reviewing the Audio Branding Podcast?  If so, here's the Apple Podcast link: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/audio-branding/id1489042453  And if you like what you hear (and read!) - please do share it with anyone you think might be interested. Thanks so much! 

Here's the second part of my interview with Creative Director, Monte Bowden   We talked about his philosophies on directing voice talent and trusting his editors, discovering a brand "voice", consistency in branding, and his thoughts on creating a deeper connection with those who his clients hope to serve.

We also spoke about things like:

• How he gives direction to the voice talent he works with, helping them find the "why"
• Consistency in branding - both in the tone of that brand and in the voice talent used
• How other ads have used INconsistency to create interest and engagement
• Authenticity and how it plays a part in advertising and fundraising
• How movie trailers seem to be getting more compelling
• His love of work that's "cinematic"
• What he's working on right now
• How a client of his is helping people to understand transparency in healthcare and leading in that field
• Working with a children's hospital and telling their caring stories
• How social media might play a role in hiring voice talent - and whether or not it should
• Monte actually interviews ME for a little bit. ;) (He asks some excellent questions!)

You can find more information on Monte and Amperage on their website at https://www.amperagemarketing.com and on Facebook at https://facebook.com/AmperageMarketing.

This episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco (http://www.humbertofranco.com/).

Would you consider reviewing the Audio Branding Podcast?  If so, here's the Apple Podcast link: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/audio-branding/id1489042453  And if you like what you hear (and read!) - please do share it with anyone you think might be interested. Thanks so much! 

Monte Bowden knows a thing or two about advertising and marketing. He studied Communications in college and then worked in a TV News station for years, rising in the ranks from intern to news director.  He also served as an adjunct professor in communications at his alma-mater.  Monte joined AMPERAGE as a communications strategist, leading PR efforts for agency clients. And with his well-rounded background in storytelling, video production and management, Monte has worked in a variety of roles there.  He currently serves as a Creative Director - and is someone I've had the absolute pleasure of working with for many years now.

In the first part of our conversation, we spoke about a lot of different things, such as:

• How he developed his love of sound, starting with radio - and how it influenced the college he chose
• How radio led to working at a TV news station, learning a lot about video, writing, producing and managing
• How he started working with Amperage (hint: it had to do with a chance meeting in a grocery store!)
• The differences and similarities between working in TV News and working at an Ad Agency
• The use of wireless mics in the newsroom - and how that transformed the storytelling
• How storytelling factors in to his work now
• Emotional decision making
• How sound might best be used in fundraising and in advertising to draw someone in
• How everything works together - sound effects, good scripts and SILENCE
• Where music fits in (and how it should be thought of early in the process rather than later!)
• A case study about how he and his team came up with an ad for a hospital
• How technology would change the development of a commercial like this
• The story behind the NBC three note "audio branded" tone
• How sound can be described in writing - and how much more effective that can make it
• Designing sound for advertising

You can find more information on Monte and Amperage on their website at https://www.amperagemarketing.com and on Facebook at https://facebook.com/AmperageMarketing.

This episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco (http://www.humbertofranco.com/).

Would you consider reviewing the Audio Branding Podcast?  If so, here's the Apple Podcast link: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/audio-branding/id1489042453  And if you like what you hear (and read!) - please do share it with anyone you think might be interested. Thanks so much! 

This is the second part of my discussion with Josuël Rogers, a coach who uses music - specifically Hip Hop - to help his students and clients develop self-awareness and confidence.  We talked about how music influences our moods (making a playlist for yourself can really help!), how personal sound can be and the power of words (among other things). You can find him at Hip Hop Culture Coaching (https://www.hiphopculturecoaching.com), if you'd like to learn more about the services he offers and the information he has to share.

In the second part of our conversation, we talked about:

• Foley in film and the making of weather sounds
• How your mind associates a type of sound with the weather
• How the "filter" of a microphone changes sound
• Hearing your own voice from a third-person's perspective
• Randomness and how that influences what we hear
• How the same song can represent different moods for different people
• How personal sound is
• How we fixate on sounds we're more familiar with (a drummer focuses on the drums in music, for instance)
• The best kept secret about making playlists to help us experience the world in the way we want to
• Repetition is key - words matter ("impossible" puts a block on things immediately, etc.)
• Everything around you is a word
• How a hockey coach learned to better coach his team through Neuro Linguistic Programming
• Your brain not registering negatives
• What he's working on right now - coaching
• More information about his podcast
• Where his podcast can be found: podcast.hiphopculturecoaching.com - and on Apple, Spotify, etc.

You can find more information on Josuël by locating him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/josuelrogers/, on Instagram and Facebook as JosuelRogers & HipHopCultureCoaching, and you can find out about his own podcast by looking up The HipHop Minded Professionalon any podcasting app you have available.

This episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco (http://www.humbertofranco.com/).

Would you consider reviewing the Audio Branding Podcast?  If so, here's the Apple Podcast link: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/audio-branding/id1489042453  And if you like what you hear (and read!) - please do share it with anyone you think might be interested. Thanks so much! 

This is the first part of my discussion with Josuël Rogers, a coach who uses music - specifically Hip Hop - to help his students and clients develop self-awareness and confidence. We talked about how music influences our moods and what got him into the Hip Hop culture in the first place (among other things). You can find him at Hip Hop Culture Coaching (https://www.hiphopculturecoaching.com), if you'd like to learn more about the services he offers and the information he has to share.

In this first part of our conversation, we talked about:

• His introduction to Hip Hop music and its culture and why it drew him in as a teen (hint: think rebellion! :) )
• How he uses the philosophy, the mindset and the sounds behind it to influence moods.
• How building a playlist of music like a DJ can make your day better
• An article he wrote about music influencing how people see the emotions on other people's faces. (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/my-motivation-mood-headphones-josu%C3%ABl-rogers-/)
• How a smile is contagious - and audible in your voice
• Neuro Linguistic Programming - how the words you use influence yourself and the person you're speaking to
• How he applies it in his own coaching
• How he builds his workshops for students
• The tone of your voice and connecting with others in both voice over and music
• The tempo of music and whether or not faster means "happier" or something else
• How music can change the "feel" of a scene in a film (I also spoke about this extensively with John McClain in our interview, if that subject interests you - https://voiceoversandvocals.com/blog/casinos/interview-with-john-mcclain-part-1/ )

You can find more information on Josuël by locating him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/josuelrogers/, on Instagram and Facebook as JosuelRogers & HipHopCultureCoaching, and you can find out about his own podcast by looking up The HipHop Minded Professional on any podcasting app you have available.

This episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco (http://www.humbertofranco.com/).

Would you consider reviewing the Audio Branding Podcast?  If so, here's the Apple Podcast link: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/audio-branding/id1489042453  And if you like what you hear (and read!) - please do share it with anyone you think might be interested. Thanks so much!